2009 Lexus RX 350 XE

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We drive the 2009 Lexus RX 350 XE

Luxurious, comfortable and swift

Published in The Witness Motoring on Wednesday October 28, 2009

Lexus boasts that its RX 300 SUV introduced Americans and the world to this breed of combination vehicle back in 1998 and it went on to become its prime earner in that market.

Subsequent revisions saw the engine grow in size to 3,5 litres and this, along with body and suspension tweaks and an extra gear, heralded the latest version unleashed to the public a few months ago.

What this translates to, is sub-eight second zero to 100 km/h sprint times and real life average fuel consumption of 13,2 l/100 km, which isn’t shabby for a 2-ton luxury people carrier.

Having found a winning formula, Lexus isn’t about to change it just yet. Others might tear up the tarmac a little quicker, while another may corner a teeny bit faster, and some might boast an extra pair of kiddie seats right at the back. So what? The RX 350, and especially the XE derivative we drove, is a superbly luxurious, comfortable and swift mover of five persons and their luggage under a wide range of conditions.

Improvements introduced this year include small increases in track width (55 mm front, 65 mm rear), sharpened steering and a revamped suspension. This takes the form of a rear double-wishbone setup that improves handling while opening up more cargo space behind the seats thanks to its more compact design.

There is also a more robust structure to promote greater crashworthiness, and additional standard features. Because of the usual negative effects on performance and fuel economy, the resulting added mass is usually regarded with suspicion. Yet the new RX 350 feels more athletic thanks to sharper handling and the extra gear ratio.

In addition to its more composed road manners, the new RX 350 brings an easier way to operate its navigation, music and ancillary systems. Called Remote Touch, the new interface replaces the former touchscreen setup with a mouse-like joystick controller located on the centre console.

It is intuitive and easy to operate, even for those put off by previous exposure to fiendishly complicated multifunction controllers. You simply move the joystick until it points at what you want, then click one of the two ‘enter’ buttons on the top rail of the console – easy peasy.

Improvements to the RX all-wheel drive system aid efficiencies all round. Torque is electronically controlled front to rear by a clutch in the Active Torque Control AWD and can now split anywhere from 100:0 to 50:50 front to rear, depending on driving dynamics and prevailing road conditions.

As an SUV, the new RX goes beyond simply providing ability to traverse rough terrain, but capitalises on the potential offered by the AWD system to provide manoeuvrable and athletic on-road performance.

In line with Lexus’ philosophy of providing fully equipped vehicles at all-in prices, only two specification levels are available. There isn’t enough space to describe everything here, but the lists are pretty comprehensive and worth checking out when comparing prices against the German Big Three that usually come standard with very few of the toys one expects.

The numbers

Price: R682 000

Engine: 3,5 litre V6

Power: 204 kW at 6 200 rpm

Torque: 346 Nm at 4 700 rpm

Zero to 100 km/h: 7,85 seconds

Maximum speed: 200 km/h

Fuel consumption: 13,2 l/100 km in real life testing over 300 km

Warranty: 3 years/100 000 km

Maintenance plan: 4 years/100 000 km

What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that road test cars entrusted to me are driven only by me. Some reviewers hand test cars over to their partners to use as day-to-day transport and barely experience them for themselves.

What this means to you is that every car reviewed is given my own personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.

Every car goes through real world testing; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.

I am based in Pietermaritzburg, KZN, South Africa. This is the central hub of the KZN Midlands farming community; the place farmers go to to buy their supplies and equipment, truck their goods to market, send their kids to school and go to kick back and relax.

So occasionally a cow, a goat or a horse may add a little local colour by finding its way into the story or one of the pictures. It's all part of the ambience!

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